Be My Damsel
by Follow-ur-Shadow
Summary: When a rapist with a fixation on fire abducts Olivia, it's up to Elliot and the squad to find her. EO
1. Chapter 1

**Be My Damsel**

**Category:** Action/Adventure/Dram/Angst/Romance

**Pairing:** E/O

**Summary:** When a rapist with a fixation on fire abducts Olivia, it's up to Elliot and the squad to find her...

**Warnings:** Maybe some for language

**Disclaimer:** Hmmm wait, wait…! No, yeah... I just checked, sadly I don't own anything :P

**Author's Notes:** I'm going to try my hand at action, you've been warned…

* * *

Elliot's eye's skimmed the rooftop carefully.

An anonymous tip had called in half an hour ago saying someone matching their perp's description had been seen hanging around this building but after climbing far too many stairs, he and Olivia were still drawing a blank.

'Find anything?' Elliot called up to his partner who was searching a small secluded level a few meters above him.

'Nothing.' Olivia placed her hands on her hips as she turned to face him. 'No way down either.'

Elliot raised his eyebrows, a small smirk creeping onto his lips. 'Just jump.'

A worried look passed across her face as she stared down at him. 'Are you kidding?'

He just shrugged his shoulders. 'Well if I had to boost you up there, how did you think you were going to get back down?'

Elliot watched her pale and after a few seconds decided to take pity on her. 'Come on, I'll catch you.'

She snorted wondering if she was meant to find that comforting. He was the one who wanted to check things out so thoroughly, why wasn't he up here?

'Anytime Liv...'

She sighed lowering herself into a sitting position and against her better judgment, slid of the edge.

Elliot caught her with ease and grinned as her arms latched around his neck. 'Comfy?'

She rolled her eyes trying to appear unphased by their position.'You can put me down now hero.'

He feigned a look of hurt as he placed her on the ground but he was unable to keep the smile off his face completely. 'Not really the damsel type, are you?'

It was her turn to grin as she raised an eyebrow almost expectantly. 'You've know me how long?'

'Good point.'

Elliot glanced casually at his watch as they started walking. 'You want to grab some lunch before we head back?'

She nodded shoving her hands in her pockets as they neared the door. 'Anything to prolong telling the captain this was a bust.'

They shared a knowing look before descending the stairs, both to preoccupied to notice the shadow of a figure that passed behind them...


	2. Chapter 2

'Okay, so what do we know about this guy?' Cragen paced between the desks clearly displeased that their latest lead had gone nowhere.

'Jason Kezley, raped five women killing four of them. The lastest victim Melanie Ladle…' Elliot stood up pinning a photo to the whitboard, 'escaped and is our only whitness.'

'Lab results just came in.' The group turned to see Fin entering the room waving a bit of paper.

'All four women were badly burnt however the cause of death was suffocation. Warner thinks they were all killed at the same location then dumped elsewhere.'

Munch clicked his pen while mentally putting the pieces together. 'What about Melanie, couldn't she ID the location?'

Olivia swiveled on her chair whilst skimming through the notes she had taken. 'Jason likes to use chloroform on his victims but what he didn't about Melanie was she's asthmatic. She came too more quickly than the other girls and when he pulled up at a set of lights she bolted.'

'So how do we know Melanie's attacker is the same guy who made the other rapes?' Munch leant forward picking up his own copy of the details to look at.

'While pretending to be unconscious she heard Jason talking about the things he was going to do to her, at first we thought maybe he was a copycat but we've checked and none of the details she mentioned have been released to the media yet.' Elliot glanced at his captain shrugging his shoulders, 'Sounds like a regular nutcase if you ask me…'

'Even more reason to find him sooner rather than later.' Cragen folded his arms across his chest adamantly. 'Do we have any idea where he could be hiding out?'

'No properties listed under his name and… no living family members either.' Munch finished reading the report throwing down on the desk. 'Looks like we've hit a dead end...'

'Well un-hit it, I want this guy found.'

The four officers watched their captain retreat back into to his office before resuming their work. Despite the fact they had little to go on, neither one of them was content to let Jason Kezley roam the streets a free man.

* * *

'You want to grab some tea?' It was getting late and after a futile day of chasing false leads, Elliot was ready to pack it in for the night. 

Olivia scrubbed a hand across her face, barely able to contain a yawn as she looked up. 'I'm kinda beat, I think I might just head home.'

Elliot nodded feeling the same fatigue start to overcome him. 'Need a lift?'

She glanced at her computer. She really should finish the last of her paperwork. 'Actually I might just…'

She stopped as Elliot leant over her shoulder, momentarily thrown off by his close proximately.

'You saved?' He asked turning his head slightly.

Olivia nodded still too distracted to realize what he was actually doing until she heard the familiar sound of her computer shutting down.

'There, come on I'll give you a lift.' He stood up straight deliberately ignoring the tingling feeling from where their arms had brushed.

He watched her collect her things and sighed. After taking so long for their relationship to finally get back on track after she'd been undercover he wasn't willing to risk ruining it again. Maybe one day, when they were both more sure and his divorce had been given more time, he might mention the fact that his feelings had started to grow less platonic but for now he was just grateful they were back to being friends...

The car ride was fairly quiet and it was only when Olivia heard the engine stop that she realized they'd arrived at her apartment.

'Home sweet home.' She unclipped her seat belt, grabbing her bag. 'See you tomorrow.'

'Yeah…' He watched her climb out of the car a smile playing on his lips. 'You gonna flash your lights?'

She rolled her eyes letting out a sigh. 'Night Elliot.'

The door shut and he turned his keys starting the engine. Glancing in the mirror he waited until he saw her go inside before finally taking off.

Olivia had barely made it three steps into the foyer when she heard the buzzer ring behind her. Figuring it was Elliot she turned and went back outside, surprised when there was no sign of him.

'Elliot?' She glanced up the street wondering if he was playing some kind of joke on her but then she realized his car was gone.

Frowning she wondered if perhaps she'd imagined the noise. She was pretty tired…which in her opinion, was even more reason to forget about it and got to bed. She rubbed a hand across her face and turned, ready to put the incident out of her mind, when a cloth suddenly covered her mouth.

Chloroform.

She panicked trying to pull away but she barely had time to blink before the fumes filled her senses.

Despite willing herself to stay awake, the world tilted slightly and dizziness overtook her as she passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Elliot knocked impatiently on Olivia's door, unable to squash the feeling of dread that settled in his stomach.

At first he thought she was just running late for work but after an hour and at least a dozen phone calls his gut told him something was wrong.

'Come on Liv …' He reached into his pocket pulling out his phone when something slipped under the door caught his eye.

Bending down his heart skipped a beat as he picked up the folded piece of paper and his eyes widened as they skimmed over the words.

His thumb went to the quickdial button on his phone and he held his breathe while he waited for an answer.

'Cap, yeah I'm here…no…no but we've got a problem…'

* * *

'Drop the case or you'll lose more than your partner...' Fin felt physically sick as he read the words out loud. 'This has got to be Kezley.' 

Cragen nodded, worry written clearly in his features. 'Elliot when was the last time you saw her?'

'Last night.' He kept his voice low trying to stay in control. 'I dropped her home and I_ made sure_ she was inside before I left.'

'Inside the building or inside her apartment?' Munch queried the statement, unnerved by the look Elliot shot him.

'Inside the bulding, I'm not her damn keeper!'

'Elliot no one's blaming you. There was nothing to even suggest Kezley even knew you before today.'

Elliot scrubbed a hand across his face. The captain was right, if Kezley knew they were on the case he had to of been watching them.

'The only semi solid lead we had was that building site. Kezley must of seen and made us for cops, he could still be around there somewhere...'

Cragen saw the glimmer of hope in his eyes and picked up the nearest phone dialing. 'You three go, I'll call for back up.'


	4. Chapter 4

Olivia winced as a sharp pain shot through her shoulders and she groaned slightly, forcing her eyes open to assess her current situation.

Her stomach dropped when she realised her hands were cuffed to a drainpipe above her head and she sighed squinting against the darkness of the room.

It looked like she was in a cellar of some sort, about the size of two standard rooms with a low ceiling. As far as she could tell the only access was a door located at the top of some old wooden stairs which didn't really help her.

Unless she got uncuffed sometime in the near future her chances of escaping would be minimal.

Her mind wandered briefly to Elliot and she relaxed slightly. Surely by now he would know she was missing and then he wouldn't rest until he found her, none or the squad would. Only problem was last time she checked they didn't have any new leads which meant they were probably as clueless to her location as she was.

Hopefully though they would put two and two together and come up with at least one piece of information she was sure of.

Jason Kezley.

He had to be behind this. The chloroform, the undisclosed location, it was all too much of a coincidence not to be him.

Sighing again she pulled vainly at her cuffs trying not to cry out as they dug into her skin. The bastard had used her own set which meant she still had the keys but that didn't really help her considering they were currently in her back pocket.

* * *

'Damnit!'

Elliot kicked the side of the squad car, leaving a small dent in the door. 'He never even had her here.'

'It's okay man.' Fin patted his back reassuringly, 'we're gonna find her.'

'How…?' Elliot started to take of his bullet proof vest sounding less than sure of himself. 'We don't even know where to start looking...'

'Something's gonna turn up.'

He glanced at Elliot hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. 'Until then we both know Liv can hold her own.'

Elliot nodded before turning and leaning heavily against the car. Olivia was one of the strongest people he knew but that didn't stop his mind from conjuring up every worst case scenario possible.


	5. Chapter 5

Olivia froze as footsteps sounded above her and she subconsciously held her breath as they neared closer.

A moment later the door creaked open and she was dismayed to find her earlier suspicions confirmed when the man she recognized as Jason Kezley stepped into view.

'Have a nice sleep?' He asked descending the stairs.

Olivia swallowed the nausea rising in her throat, forcing herself to stay calm and to try and appear confident.

'Let me go and we'll take the needle of the table.'

He walked up to her slowly, a small smile spreading across his lips.

Olivia felt goose bumps rise on the back of her neck as he paused in front of her and then without a word he turned, moving over to a small bench on the other side of the room.

'Do you like fire detective Benson?'

'Can't say I'm a fan...' She strained trying to see over his shoulder but her view was completely blocked.

Kezley stared idly at the object in his hands. 'That's a shame…'

When he eventually turned around Olivia caught sight of a small lamp he was holding. It looked like some sort of warming light, the kind they used to grow flowers in cultivated environments.

'What? Are you planning on growing me?'

Kezley smirked but for the most part ignored her attempt at humour, placing the lamp back on the bench.

Bending down he managed to find an unused socket and with the flick of a switch the light glowed brightly illuminating the dimly lit room.

'Completely harmless, until you add start to add your own little features.' He closed the barn doors concentrating the light into a point and Olivia's eyes widened as he secured a magnifying glass under its focus.

'Should take about an hour to warm up, by which point I'll be long gone.'

'You don't have to do this.'

Olivia tried on last ditch attempt to try and reason with him but when he reached the other side of the room without responding she knew it was pointless.

She closed her eyes and a moment later heard the door slam shut above her. Mentally she started accessing the situation.

One hour, give or take, was all the time she had to either escape or wait for a rescue.

She pulled on the pipe above her head hoping it would give but it didn't budge and upon further scrutiny she realised both ends were securely bolted into the wall on either side.

That only left her with plan B, the keys in her back pocket.

After a few minutes of trying she let out a defeated sigh concluding it was impossible. She'd need to be a contortionist to pull it off and even then she had her doubts it could be done.

Her gaze shifted to the light sitting on the bench and she silently resorted to plan C which was prey that the guys found her in time. It wasn't exactly a proactive plan on her part but she was left with little choice in the matter. ..

'Come on Elliot.' She let out a breath, hoping he wasn't far away.

* * *

'I might have something...' Fin pulled a piece of paper from the fax machine skimming over its content. 'The guys from homicide sent this over. It's from an unsolved case that matches Kezley's MO.' 

Elliot slammed down his phone after having finished a rather frustrating conversation with yet another one of Kezley's _friends_ who hadn't seen or heard from him.

'How exactly does that help us?'

'I don't know but...'

'Kezley's been arrested.' Munch hung up his own phone eagerly interrupting with the news. 'A constable recognized him at local grocery from the APB. we sent out.'

'What about Liv? 'Elliot could barely keep the edge off his voice as he spoke but Munch just shook his head.

'She wasn't with him but they're bringing him here to be questioned. From the look of things he was buying up to go on a long trip.'

Elliot felt his heart sink, what if they were already too late?

He bunched his hands into fists and mentally shook the thought away. If he was going to find her he needed to stay positive and with Kezley being hand delivered, nothing was going to stop him from getting the information he needed.


	6. Chapter 6

_'Tell us where detective Benson is.'_

Cragen, Elliot and Huang watched from behind the one way mirror while Munch and Fin conducted the interview with Kezley.

'Drop the charges, let me go and then I _might_ tell you.'

The smug grin that appeared on Kezley's face made Elliot want to go punch his nose in and he had to force himself to control his anger.

'That bastards not going to tell us anything captain.'

'I'm afraid Elliot may be right.' Huang stated watching the man in question carefully. 'He seems to genuinely think he can get away with what he's done as long as the evidence remains secreted.'

Cragen frowned trying to understand the reasoning behind his motives. 'But DNA links him to the other victims he must know he's going down.'

Huang just shook his head. 'He's convinced himself that the only evidence that matters is by word of mouth. In his mind Olivia is the only person who can put him away which means as long as he's keeping quiet there's a chance she's still alive.'

Elliot kept his eyes trained solely on Kezley, 'Five minutes alone cap, that's all I need.'

Cragen saw the seriousness etched on his detectives face but despite his own personal feelings he simply couldn't allow it.

'I'm sorry, you know I can't…'

Balling his hands into fists, it only took a moment for Elliot to disregard the answer and push past the two men.

'Elliot!'

Cragen called out for him to stop but his detective had already swung open the door the interrogation room slamming it shut behind him.

'You son of a bitch, where is she?!'

Elliot grabbed Kezley by the collar of his shirt pushing him forcefully against the wall. 'Tell me where she is!'

Kezley smirked seeming pleased by the man's anger. 'I aint telling you squat detective.'

Elliot's grip tightened, his voice lowering to a dangerous level. 'You better pray that when we find her, she's still alive…'

'Elliot…'

Fins voice came as a warning and with one last push Elliot released his hold on the man.

Kezley coughed slightly as the pressure from his throat was released and he glanced down at his watch, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

'You're running out of time detective.'

Elliot glared at him before storming out of the room. He needed to be doing something productive, something that wasn't wasting his time…

'Elliot?' Huang followed him from the interrogation room concern lacing his voice. 'What are you doing?'

'I don't know, I just…' He placed his head in his hands trying to think. 'There has to be something we've missed.'

Huang leant against the desk trying to backtrack through the case. 'Okay we know there have been five victims so far not including Olivia but they were all…'

'Six.' Elliot glanced across at the file Fin had disregarded on his desk.

'There were six victims. Fin got a fax just before Kezley was brought in.' He stood up grabbing the folder so he could read the file. 'Alice Weagen, raped and murdered 7 years ago but they couldn't pin the murder on anyone.'

'Could have been his first victim.' Huang took the information out of Elliot's hands as he moved to sit in front of his computer.

It took a few moments but finally he found what he was looking for.

'Here. Alice Weagen, daughter of Megan Weagen was raped and murdered in her home. No one was ever charged because of a lack of evidence but... son of a bitch...'

Elliot's eye's remained focused on the screen as he continued reading, 'Jason Keasley, her boyfriend at the time was the main suspect… The bastard changed his name, that's why we couldn't find any previous offences.'

He continued scanning the remaining text hoping to find something of use when he stopped suddenly.

Huang watched his hand hover over the mouse and knew instantly he'd found something. 'What does it say?'

'Mrs. Weagen re-bought her daughters house because she didn't like the idea of it being lived in by anyone else, it's currently unoccupied.'

'Is there an address?'

Elliot scribbled something down on a bit of paper and stood up grabbing his keys off the desk. 'Give this to Cragen, tell him to send back-up.'

'Elliot...' Huang took the piece of paper a frown appearing on his face. 'You should really wait for…'

'Just do it!'

The words came out a little more forcefully than he intended but as he ran out the door Elliot realised he didn't care. He could get his arse kicked later, once he knew Liv was safe.

* * *

Olivia tried not to panic as the bench started smouldering beneath the lamp. She knew it wouldn't be much longer before it caught alight and seeing how the frame of the house was made up nearly entirely of rotting wood, she knew it wouldn't take long to spread.

She closed her eyes mentally preparing herself, wishing for once that she could just pass out. Of all the ways to go, burning to death, had certainly not been on the top of her list.

A small crackling noise filled her ears and she had to fight the urge to cry as she looked over to see the bench burst into flames.

Frantically she started pulling at her cuffs ignoring the pain as the metal rubbed against her already raw skin.

This was it, the guys were out of time and if she was going to die, she wasn't going down without a fight.


	7. Chapter 7

Elliot pulled up in front of the address he'd found on the internet and leapt out of the car holstering his gun. He figured he probably wouldn't need it but it was better to be safe than sorry...

His heart started racing as he neared the front door and without even thinking he used a swift kick to bust the lock.

'Liv...?' He called out as he stepped cautiously inside and receiving no response he continued making his way carefully down the hall, only stopping when the smell of smoke filled his nostrils.

'_Shit._' He cursed grabbing his radio and putting in a call for the FDNY as well as a bus before resuming his search more frantically.

'Come on Liv where are you…'

He rounded the corner trying not to panic when he spotted a door with smoke pooling out from underneath it. Running forward, he remembered to test the knob first but swore as his hand came into contact with hot metal. Taking a deep breath he used the same trick he used to get the front door open and kicked it in, blinking furiously as the smoke stung his eyes.

He had to force down the fear rising at the sight of the out of control fire burning beneath him.

'Olivia!' He strained listening for some indication she was down there and he'd never been more relieved when he heard a faint coughing.

Pulling his shirt over his mouth he ducked his head and started down the stairs navigating carefully between the flames.

'Olivia…' His eyes went wide when he finally saw her and wasting no time he ran to her side subconsciously scanned her body for injuries. 'Liv, are you okay?'

She nodded coughing as the smoke filled her lungs unable to do anything but fruitlessly try to catch her breath.

Seeing her struggle Elliot snapped into action and moved to untie her but he froze when he realised she was cuffed.

'Liv I need…'

A loud creaking sounded behind him and he turned just in time to see one of the supports give way. Fortunately there were several more still standing but he knew they were running out of time.

'Liv where are the keys!' He searched her eyes frantically, waiting for an answer and praying that she knew.

'Back… pocket.' She whispered the words hoarsely concentrating her efforts on staying conscious but after another round of coughing she felt herself start to slip.

Elliot watched her gaze falter and tried not to panic as he heard another support go behind him. 'Come on Liv, _stay with me_.'

She nodded trying to focus as he unlocked the cuffs but she was finding it increasingly difficult. 'El…'

He caught her as she passed out and scooped her up into his arms.

Squinting through the heat, he moved quickly but carefully to avoid the flames pausing when he reached the stairs.

They looked like they would buckle at any moment...

Taking a breath he coughed as the smoke burnt his lungs and without any other choice he started climbing praying they would hold his weight.

* * *

Fin and Munch arrived at the house seconds before the FDNY, neither one surprised to see no sign of Elliot. 

'Must be inside...' Munch started walking when the windows in the front room suddenly blew out knocking him back.

'Whoa!' Fin looked up just in time to see the area burst in to flames and he turned to a man in yellow beside him. 'We've got people in there!'

The man nodded turning to his crew. 'Let's move now!'

The pair of detectives watched while the men went about controlling the fire surprised that two of them were already entering the house.

'Where the hell is that bus?'

No sooner than the words left his mouth Munch heard the familiar sound of sirens pulling up.

'Come on Elliot...' Fins eyes were glued to the door praying that he'd see the man and hopefully Olivia would walk out unharmed and after what felt like an eternity... he heard static behind him.

'We've got something!' The chief fire warden secured his radio before moving to the front of the house.

A blur of yellow could be seen leaving the building and Fin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Elliot immerge a few seconds later carrying his partner.

'Thank god.' Munch started towards them his heart beating faster when he realised Olivia was unconscious.

'Elliot what happened, is she okay?'

His only answer was a round of coughing as he placed her onto a stretcher directed by the paramedics.

'Take it easy man.' Fin patted him on the back while Olivia was wheeled to the ambulance. 'You did good.'

Elliot nodded still trying to catch his breath when an officer interrupted them. 'Excuse me sir, I'd like to take a look at you.'

'I'm fine.' Elliot waved him off but the man was persistent.

'You can ride with your partner if you like, I'll check you out on the way.'

A small smile appeared on Fin's lips as he watched Elliot eagerly take the offer, knowing the man would agree to anything if it meant he could stay with Olivia.

He sighed hoping she'd be okay. He didn't even want the think about the repercussions that might occur if she wasn't.


	8. Chapter 8

Pain was the first clear conscious thought that Olivia registered as she woke up.

Her throat hurt, her body ached, her head was killing her and she felt like she could drink the entire contents of a swimming pool. Slowly she pried her eyes open, blinking as the harsh light filled her vision.

'Hey.'

Elliot's face appeared beside her and she did her best to smile as he sat down in the chair beside her bed. 'How are you feeling?'

She wordlessly raised an eyebrow and he held up his hands in mock defence. 'Okay I know, ask a stupid question... You want some water?'

She nodded, grateful when he handed her a drink but taking a sip she couldn't keep from coughing as the liquid burnt her throat.

Elliot reached forward taking the cup and rubbing soothing circles on her back. After a few moments the coughing subsided and she sunk back down into the pillows.

'This sucks…'

Elliot smiled but was unable to keep the worry out of his voice completely. 'You want me to call the doctor?'

She sighed shaking her head. 'Not unless he's planning on doping me up on morphine.'

He hadn't realized how on edge he'd been until he felt the relief at hearing her joke and the smile on his face grew slightly as he visibly relaxed.

'You know, for someone who doesn't like to play the damsel you're sure doing a good job of it.'

'Yeah well you did a pretty good job of playing hero.' Olivia turned her head, sincerity creeping into her voice. 'Seriously though…thank you.'

He paused for a moment before reaching out and tenderly brushing the hair from the side of her face. 'In the future just… try and stay out of trouble, k?'

She went to make a sarcastic retort but that fact his hand was still lingering against her skin kept her quiet. A brief silence descended upon them as he moved his fingers so his thumb was gently caressing her cheek.

Olivia swallowed nervously under the scrutiny of her partners gaze and she felt herself flush when he smiled at her.

Elliot watched the colour rise in her cheeks and felt his heart start to beat faster. All he had to do was lean a few inches forward...

'Just coming to check Ms. Benson's vitals.'

Elliot sprung back as a nurse cheerily entered the room completely oblivious to what she'd just interrupted.

'Do you ah…need me to leave…?' He motioned awkwardly to the door but the women just shook her head.

'I'll only be a few minutes.'

Elliot sighed resuming his position in the chair beside Olivia's bed while the nurse fussed about taking her temperature and blood pressure.

After what felt like an eternity of useless prodding and poking Olivia was relieved to see the nurse packing up her equipment. 'Does this mean I can go home?'

The nurse looked amused by her enthusiasm but still shook her head. 'Everything seems to be in order Ms. Benson but we still need to keep you in for observation. Barring complications you should be home by the end of the week.'

Olivia forced a smile as she watched the women leave wondering why she couldn't just take some drugs and go home now.

Her gaze shifted and she frowned when she noticed Elliot staring at her intently. Taking a deep breath she did her best to try and ignore the butterflies building in her stomach. 'What is it?'

He placed his elbow against the bedside table and leant his head on his hand acting as casual as possible. 'It's nothing.'

She threw him a look that stated she clearly didn't believe him and he sighed, rubbing his fingers across his forehead.

'You scared me Liv…'

His voice was quiet and something about the tone caused her heart to skip a beat.

'Eliot…' She waited for him to look up and when he did she smiled reassuringly. 'I'm okay.'

He stared at her for a long moment letting the words sink in. She was okay but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the what if's out of his head.

If he'd been five minutes later then they wouldn't even be having this conversation…

He sucked in a breath and stood up mentally shaking the thought from his head. 'I should probably go, let the captain know how you're doing.'

'Elliot…' She grabbed his hand before he could leave ignoring the sudden pain the movement caused, 'Talk to me.'

He turned slowly and she once again felt herself flush.

He was wearing that same gentle look he had on his face earlier but this time he didn't hesitate. He moved quickly and precisely using his free hand to cup her cheek as he brought his lips down on hers softly.

The kiss was short and she resisted the urge to groan as he pulled away searching her eyes questioningly. 'Liv…'

'Hey! How's our girl doing?'

They sprung apart in time to see Fins head pop up over a rather large bouquet of flowers that had fortunately been obstructing his view.

Olivia let out the breath she'd subconsciously been holding when she realised he hadn't seen anything. 'Ready to go home.'

He entered the room placing the flowers on a table near the window before turning back to the bed. 'Don't tell me you're already missing work?'

She smiled. For once the idea of taking off a few days seemed quite appealing. 'Oh no, I think I'm going to need _weeks_ of bed rest.'

'Well just don't take too long.' Fin motioned towards Elliot who was doing his best to blend into background. 'You know how cranky he gets when you take time off.'

Olivia felt herself blush and prayed neither man noticed.

'Well I've gotta get back to the precinct, you know how the cap gets when we take extended lunches.' He reached out giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, 'Take it easy okay? I'll be back with the gang to visit later...'

'Yeah, thanks Fin.' She watched him leave and turned back to Elliot who had his hands shoved firmly in his pockets.

He opened his mouth to say something but promptly shut it again causing an awkward silence to fall between them.

Olivia closed her eyes.

She knew how these things worked and if she didn't do something then it was just going to become another moment that they swept under the rug and never spoke about again.

Taking a deep breath she sat up as best she could and swung her legs over the side of the bed, wincing as pain shot through her body.

He was by her side in an instant, concern replacing the previous awkwardness as he knelt down beside her. 'Liv what are you doing?'

'What are _you_ doing?'

Neither one had to ask what she was referring to and when he didn't respond she leant forward placing her hand on his cheek. He didn't protest and she took it as an invitation to close the distance, ignoring the pain in her chest as she kissed him gently.

Elliot's heart started to race at the feel of her lips and he was all set to lose himself in the moment when he felt her tremble slightly beneath him. He pulled away brushing a stray strand of hair from her eye and was surprised when his hand came into contact with damp skin.

'Liv, you should to lie down...'

She shook her head trying to swallow the dizziness she felt. 'I'm fine.'

'You need to rest.' His tone was gentle but still held a note of authority. He didn't like how pale she'd become and the doctors had warned him that she needed to take it easy for a while.

Olivia sighed as he helped her lie back down not wanting to admit how tired she actually felt. She wanted to talk about what was going on between them but not having the energy, she knew it would have to wait.

'Get some sleep.' He smiled pulling the blankets back up around her. 'I'll check in on you later.'


	9. Chapter 9

After nearly a week in the hospital Olivia didn't think she'd ever been so relieved to see the inside of her apartment. She heard Elliot close the door behind her, dropping her overnight bag on the floor with a thud.

He could tell by the look on her face she was pleased to be here. 'Glad to be home?'

'You have no idea.'

She chucked her keys down on the table running a hand aimlessly through her hair. 'You want a coffee?'

'Yeah that'd be good.' He watched her put the kettle on and stood transfixed as she moved around the kitchen going about her task. He didn't understand how the simple act of making coffee could be so endearing but whatever the reason he couldn't deny it was driving him crazy.

Not that he was a stranger to the feeling. In fact over the past week he'd been feeling it _a lot_. So much so that since they'd kissed in the hospital he hadn't been able to shake the thought of being nearer to her, touching her, hugging her, kissing her... _anything_ as long as it was physical contact.

For the most part though he'd resisted the urge not wanting to scare her off, trying to convince himself that it was just the fact he'd nearly lost her which was making him seek the contact.

But while his head rationalized the situation for him, his heart told him another story all together.

Olivia reached for the kettle unaware of Elliot moving behind her. 'Did you want...'

She stopped when she felt his hand graze her hip and her pulse quickened as he dropped his head to rest on her shoulder.

'Sorry, what was that?'

'Sugar...umm, how many?' She was so distracted by his close proximity she didn't realise the cup she was filling had overflowed until Elliot reached across pushing her hand and the kettle back to the sink.

'Clumsy...' His breath sent shivers down her spine and despite the sudden loss of control she was feeling, she was glad to find a part of her brain was still acting coherently.

'Elliot what are you doing?'

Although they'd kissed at the hospital they hadn't really had a chance to talk about it and now she was out and sure there was no chance of being interrupted, she needed to know exactly what was going on before she let it go any further...

'I'm trying to save my coffee.' He nuzzled her neck, deliberately keeping his tone light. In all honesty he didn't know what he was doing just that it felt _so_ right.

'Elliot...'

She wanted to get angry with him, tell him that he shouldn't be acting so flippantly but the way her body was reacting made any protest that might of come die on her lips. Acting instinctively she turned in his arms ignoring the canister of coffee that fell as he pushed her up against the bench pressing his mouth to hers.

She groaned as he started trailing kisses along her neck and she started unbuttoning his shirt with a new urgency...

_Ring, ring._

The shrill noise of the phone sounded, interrupting them.

'Ignore it.'

Elliot's eyes were almost pleading with her to comply and she found she was unable to resist their blue crystal gaze, 'Ignore what?'

He grinned, leaning in and kissing her.

For the moment he was just grateful they weren't trying to rationalise or question their actions. They could condone or condemn it later, for now he was just content to let it happen...


End file.
